The Journey Home
by SoaringGryphonProductions
Summary: (An idea for the fourth movie) A ship has run aground off the coast of West Africa, the crew have perished but it's cargo have made it onto land. Join Durga and her younger brother Talwar as they try to survive in a new world, and try to make the journey back to their own pridelands.


**The Lion King- The Journey Home**

**Chapter 1- Visitors from Beyond the Outlands**

It is late in the evening and all is not well aboard a human ship. The vessel was caught in a raging storm while making it's crossing along the Red Sea. The ship was soon forced to run aground into the Skeleton Coast, but there was something special in the cargo hold, which just broke open on impact with the beach.

The crew was preparing to set sail again and spreading out to look for help. Unknown to them was that their cargo had escaped onto the mainland. The ship was carrying two Asiatic Lions. The two lions made the trek forward into unknown lands, "We must be careful, I sense that we are not alone," said the lioness

"Understood, though these lands look very much like our own," said the male lion to the female whom happened to be his sister-in-pride. The two lions names were Durga and Talwar and they were on a journey to go back to their homelands across the sea, "we must go and find help," the lion his sister-in-pride.

Durga was as strong as a warrior and caring as a sister. She was recognized by villagers by the markings on her head which resembled those on the forehead of the Goddess of Victory and a thin dark lining around her eyes. Talwar was her black-maned brother. He was a sharp and serious, but also mateless.

The lions made their way through dense brush of the plains. Durga's shoulders shifted up and down in locomotion as they journeyed to find food and shelter. The lands were golden and majestic, "You're right, these lands are much like our own, brother, a blessing indeed," Durga remarked, observing the land.

Durga froze in the grass as she came across a herd of wildebeest, "Gods be praised, Banka-Mundi sends us her blessing, a herd of gaur," Durga whispered to her brother and stalked for her prey, "wait right here, brother, I will get us some food," She moved up slowly to the herd, yet something didn't feel right,

"_That's peculiar, these gaur look a bit small…looks like the seasons have been unkind to them_," Durga thought looking through the dense brush and spotted her target, the weakest in the group. Unknown to her was the fact that another lioness had picked the same one, yet fate had other plans for the two lionesses,

Durga lunged out of the tall undergrowth and gave chase to the Wildebeest with an injured ankle, but noticed the lioness running alongside her, "Back off, this one's mine!" the younger lioness said to Durga. The Asiatic lioness said nothing, but responded with her actions by picking up the pace. She was hungry.

"Oh that's how you want to play? Well two can play that game!" The younger lioness bantered, noticing that Durga had the better chance of grabbing a meal than her, "_she's fast...but I'm faster!" _She thought, admiring Durga's skill and speed in the chase, but fate put it's plan into action in the form of a small rock,

The two lionesses were neck and neck in the race for food, but as soon as she was about make a bite at the Wildebeest's leg, she tripped over the rock and sent Durga tumbling with her while the Wildebeest escaped, "Why you bumbling witless fool! Now I won't be able to feed my kin!" Durga scolded the lioness.

"Hey I tripped! It's not my fault!" She blasted, but noticed something strange about the other lioness in her voice and the odd markings, "you…you don't sound like you're from the Pridelands...what's your name and where are you from?" Durga tilted her head bemusedly. The word 'Pridelands' didn't seem to ring a bell.

Talwar overheard the yelling in the distance and came onto the scene, "What seems to be the problem here?" He asked in a calm way but still demanding an answer. His eyes were as sharp as the sword he was named after. Durga put a paw on his right shoulder, signalling to him there was nothing to worry about.

"Come now, let us cool our tongues," said Durga, "now then, my name is Durga and this is my brother Talwar, you may not trust us when we say that we come from across the sea and we're trying to find our way home," the lioness listened to their story and scratched her head, "sigh...I didn't think so," she frowned.

"No, it's not what you think, it's just that...there are other prides living across the sea?" She asked, Durga and Talwar were now starting to wonder if they were on the same planet anymore, "humph...it's not such a small world after all, I'm Kiara," Durga nodded a simple bow and allowed Kiara to lead the way,

"You said you and your brother are trying to get back to your Pridelands? I think I know someone who can help," Kiara said leading the lion and the lioness to her home at Pride Rock. Durga was older than Kiara, three years older. Talwar was younger than Durga by a few hours as they have the same birth mother.

"You are most hospitable," Durga complimented walking alongside Kiara. As the three lions came to Pride Rock, all the animals bowed in respect as they passed by, "_this is just like my homeland, the human villagers always bowed when any of my pride was on their lands_," She thought looking at the awesome spectacle.

The lions made it to Pride Rock where Simba and Nala were waiting. Simba sighed seeing that the day's hunt was unsuccessful, but the brighter side of things, "Well, it seems we have visitors," Simba said politely to his guests. The lion and the lioness approached the king and bowed to the leader out of respect.

"My name is Durga, this is my brother Talwar, it is an honor to be in your presence," Durga explained to the king, "but we come to you at a time of great distress, and we seek your counsel," Simba nodded in understanding, but turned an eye of suspicion at the appearance of the mysterious guests as did Nala.

Neither he nor Nala had never seen lions like Talwar and Durga before. The odd-looking markings on Durga's forehead also made the Lions of Pride Rock weary of both her and her brother, "So what do you want with us...Durga?" Nala asked straightforwardly, Durga lightly frowned, wondering if they would believe her.


End file.
